Blonde Ambition (Twilight25, Round 9)
by ladylibre
Summary: COMPLETE! As inspired by 25 single-word prompts, these are 25 assorted drabbles, flashes, and possible one-shots centered on Rosalie Hale. Most of the entries will be tame, but I'm rating it M just in case. This character-focused 9th Round of the Twilight Twenty-Five is my first time out, and I'm hoping you'll join me!
1. Prompt 18: Mist

****Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns everything in the Twiverse. I'm just playing around :)****

**Hey y'all!**

**This is my first time participating in the Twilight Twenty-Five, and I am SO EXCITED! **

**Round 9 has a Central Character theme, so each of my entries will focus on Rosalie (what a surprise, lol) and be inspired by a single-word prompt.**

**I fear I've lost some of my FF writing mojo based on all that's going on in RL, so I'm hoping this experience will reignite that fire. Those waiting on Roseward and Carlsme updates, I'm really trying to get those to you. But in the meantime, I hope these will suffice.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

**Prompt: #18, "Mist"**

**Main Character: Rosalie Hale**

**Rating: K+**

**Word Count: 485**

Checking her wristwatch again, Rosalie realized the futility of calling Alice a fourth time. But Bloomingdale's wasn't the worst place to waste part of Spring Break, so she headed to housewares with a deep, cleansing breath.

And froze, caught by an unexpected scent.

It was sensual and inviting with enough mystery to pique her interest. She took another whiff and began following the scent, hardly knowing why. With each inhale, she sensed additional notes—vanilla, amber, patchouli—and was further enticed to fully sample its bouquet.

As she proceeded down one aisle and across three others, Rosalie expected to land in Ladies' Fragrance. So when she saw the service elevators, she realized her folly and decided again on housewares. Rounding another corner, she spied a brawny guy in a polo shirt pulling a large utility cart.

"Hey there." He slowed as she approached. "Are you the lady looking for empty boxes?"

"No, uh…I was looking for something else."

His blue eyes twinkled. "Is it available in stores?"

"I don't know." She was surprised by the lilt in her voice. "I've never seen it before."

"Really?" He leaned against the parked cart, folding his well-toned arms. "Do tell."

"I didn't see it because I smelled it." He wrinkled his nose, and she laughed. "It was a good smell, like the perfect summer night. I followed the scent here, but I guess I made a wrong turn."

Studying her silently, the beautiful stranger strode toward her, stopping at a comfortable distance. Angling his head to one side, he tugged down the other side of his collar. "Is this it?"

Rosalie hesitated then leaned in, slowly inhaling where indicated. The warm, familiar fragrance filled her soul, and she closed her eyes to savor it. When she opened them again, his azure eyes were smiling at her.

"That's it." She stepped back, clearing her throat. "What's it called?"

He looked away as he answered.

"What did you say?"

He blushed, and it was the cutest thing she'd ever seen. "Silky Sunset Body Mist."

She fought to keep a straight face. "Okay."

"I was running late and couldn't shower after the gym. This was the only smelly stuff in the lounge besides the drain cleaner."

"I understand."

"And I think I'm man enough to wear it."

"I think I'd agree with that."

He smiled. "Yeah?"

"Yeah."

As they shimmered and simmered, a blaring PA announcement burst their bubble, and he returned to his cart, gripping its handle. "Someone's waiting for these."

She swallowed hard. "Right."

"But…" Their eyes met. "I'll be done in twenty minutes."

"Then I'll be right here."

"Yeah?"

She nodded. "Definitely yeah."

The blue-eyed stranger whooped, and Rosalie laughed. As he disappeared around the corner, her phone rang, and she answered it immediately.

"Rosie! I'm so sorry I'm late, and…"

"It's fine, Alice." Rosalie collapsed on a nearby bench with a sigh. "Actually, it's better than fine."


	2. Prompt 17: Limit

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

**Prompt: #17, "Limit"**

**Main Character: Rosalie Hale**

**Rating: K**

**Word Count: 100**

* * *

A stiletto-clad foot tapped a furious staccato on the kitchen floor.

Jasper tensed and shuddered: she was lightning and thunder, a tempest restrained.

The flirting, the van, and the confession were all terrible.

But _this _ could not be borne.

"They're in the meadow," Alice said. "Alone."

"We will weigh all options," Carlisle said. "But I believe in my heart of hearts that Isabella is not a threat."

"Not a threat?" Rosalie slammed both hands on the table. "Are you serious?"

Her rage shook the chandelier and set their souls to trembling.

And Jasper smelled rain as Rosalie reached her limit.


	3. Prompt 16: Kingdom

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

**Prompt: #16, "Kingdom"**

**Main Character: Rosalie Hale **

**Rating: K**

**Word Count: 100**

* * *

An overcast sky hovered above a squat, nondescript building as empty as the fools eager to enter it. Common girls with little sense preened for the very same jesters they rejected last spring.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

With an elegant roll of her eyes, Rosalie leaned against her spotless car and sighed. The year hadn't yet started, and she was already over it.

School dances, lunchroom gossip.

Group projects.

As she shuddered at the latter thought, Emmett arrived and took her hand. "Come, my queen! Our senior year awaits."

"Great." She forced a smile. _"My kingdom for a cap and gown."_


	4. Prompt 15: Insidious

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

**Prompt: #15, "Insidious"**

**Main Character: Rosalie Hale**

**Rating: K**

**Word Count: 100**

"Come on!" Rosalie stomped her foot. "You have to!"

"But I don't want to," Edward whined. "And I'm older, so stop bossing me around."

"By three whole minutes, twerp."

"I don't wanna get in trouble." Edward glanced around. "If I get caught…"

"Listen. Mom and Dad are on a date." They shuddered at the yucky thought. "And that horrible Alice is keeping us from a _Teen Titans_ marathon." She handed him the tube. "She has to go."

Edward took the wasabi with trembling fingers.

"I'll distract her. You give this one long squirt." Rosalie grinned slowly. "Right in the guacamole."


	5. Prompt 09: Exposed

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns everything in the Twiverse. I'm just having fun :)**

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

**Prompt: #09, "Exposed"**

**Main Character: Rosalie Hale**

**Rating: K**

**Word Count: 100**

* * *

"To you, it's just a zipper," Esme said. "But to her, it's a way of life."

Rosalie huffed, annoyed beyond belief. She didn't care about Alice's history of runway shows and celebrity styling. Didn't care why she needed sudden asylum or why the girl's uncle's secretary's cousin's dogwalker asked _her_ mother for help.

She just wanted to look hot tonight…without a booty-baring wardrobe malfunction.

"Ten minutes to Emmett," Esme said.

"Fine, Mom." Rosalie grabbed the torn dress. "I'll ask her. But that's it, okay? Alice and I are not friends."

In time she'd learn she was right.

They were sisters.


	6. Prompt 24: Waffle

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns everything in the Twiverse. I'm just playing around :)**

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

**Prompt: #24, "Waffle"**

**Main Character: Rosalie Hale**

**Rating: K+**

**Word Count: 100**

* * *

Rosalie never admitted defeat.

This was her first day on the job, and she refused to concede.

But one look around suggested she had little choice.

How had everything gone so wrong?

"Morning, Mrs. McCarty." Emmett wrapped his arms around her from behind, nuzzling her neck. "Whatcha doing?"

She pointed to a sad pile of hard, doughy squares. "I made waffles."

"While I appreciate it." He spun her around, swiping flour from her cheek. "You're not spending our honeymoon morning in the kitchen."

With an arched brow, she hopped up on the counter, hooking her legs around his. "Wanna bet?"


	7. Prompt 23: Tryst

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns everything in the Twiverse. I'm just playing around :)**

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

**Prompt: #23, "Tryst"**

**Main Character: Rosalie Hale**

**Rating: T**

**Word Count: 100**

* * *

The first time I cheated on Royce was a rainy Thursday.

He was late again.

I was alone. Again.

And Emmett was there.

He was our doorman and a friend.

But with a heartfelt "How are you _really_, Mrs. King?" he was there differently.

Tenderly.

Patiently.

Perfectly.

...

The twentieth time I cheated on Royce was our anniversary.

I tried not to feel guilty.

But failed.

And Emmett held me as I cried.

...

The last time I'll cheat on Royce will be tonight.

There are papers on his pillow beside my baguettes.

And Emmett will ride shotgun as I drive away.


	8. Prompt 14: Innocence

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns everything in the Twiverse. I'm just playing around :)**

**I see to be on a roll this afternoon, LOL! Thanks for the reviews on my little drabbles. They make me so happy!**

* * *

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

**Prompt: #14, "Innocence"**

**Main Character: Rosalie Hale**

**Rating: T**

**Word Count: 100**

* * *

"Oh, my sweet Henry!" Rosalie kisses his ruddy cheeks once more. "I will see you again soon."

"Visit anytime, Rose," Vera says warmly. "He must know his favorite aunt."

Rosalie's heart swells. "He is perfect! I hope we will someday be so lucky."

"As do I. Your intended seems quite…able."

"Vera, that's shocking!" They giggle together. "But I wouldn't know. He treats me with nothing less than the utmost respect."

"Oh, Rose. You are so lucky!"

"I know. Would that all men had his temperance and sensitivity." She sighs airily. "But then again, Royce King is one of a kind."


	9. Prompt 04: Complications

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns everything in the Twiverse. I'm just playing around :)**

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

**Prompt: #04, "Complications"**

**Main Character: Rosalie Hale**

**Rating: T**

**Word Count: 100**

* * *

"Hurry up!" Rosalie hastily buttoned her torn blouse. "He'll be home soon."

Emmett tripped over a broken leg. "You seen my jeans?"

"Under the lid." She groaned. "What will we tell him?"

"That we made beautiful music together?"

"Not funny. He's going to kill us."

"No worries." Emmett zipped up. "He's in love now. He'll understand."

"But he told us not to touch it."

"Technically, we only touched the…"

"Oh my god!" Edward slammed the front door, his horrified eyes widening. "What the hell happened to my piano?"

"Edward!" Rosalie smoothed her wrinkled skirt. "Um, well…there were…uh…"

Emmett grinned. "Complications."


	10. Prompt 21: Shattered

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns everything in the Twiverse. I'm just playing around :)**

**Thank you for all the Rosie love; it really rocks my socks. **

**This one's a little longer-enjoy!**

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

**Prompt: #21, "Shattered"**

**Main Character: Rosalie Hale**

**Rating: T**

**Word Count: 467**

* * *

Rosalie sped into the forest, a harsh wind at her back. She was being followed, but she wouldn't slow down. Harder and faster she flew, away from the house and all it represented.

Or used to.

"Go away, Emmett!"

"Rosie, please!" His voice was faint but still too close for comfort. "We can talk this out."

"No, we can't. Just…" She wouldn't argue with him. "Leave me be."

She kicked into another gear, leaving him and his concern in the dust. Someday she might feel guilty for shutting him out, but at the moment, she had nothing to spare. She was hard and cold though her very soul was aflame.

She hadn't felt such agony since those three days on the transitional pyre, but there was one salient difference between then and now.

This time she deserved to burn.

Though breathing was superfluous, her hasty exodus proved exhausting, and Rosalie collapsed in a heap beside an enormous felled tree. Her gaze landed on its exposed roots lying thick and obtrusive amid the upset soil, and she studied the scene, wondering how the damage occurred. Was it the wind? A storm? An act of God?

But in a flash of clarity she realized it didn't matter. Reasons didn't matter. Intentions, excuses, apologies…none of them mattered. Because in the end, the tree still fell. The sanctity of the soil was still disturbed.

Her family was still shattered.

She covered her mouth with a shaky hand, her immortal eyes stinging with tears she couldn't cry. She shouldn't have been feeling this way, shouldn't have had to feel this way. She should have been back at the mansion with everyone else, waiting for news. She should have been waiting for confirmation of Bella Swan's death or to find out if Charlie would allow any Cullens at the funeral.

But she wasn't. Not merely because she was hiding in the forest but because that wasn't the news the family was waiting for.

They were waiting to find out if Alice and Bella made it to Volterra in time to save her grief-stricken brother from getting himself killed because he thought the human girl had died when in truth she was alive and well and had not committed suicide but had gone cliff-jumping for kicks.

The situation might have been humorous had it not left her family in ruins.

And not been her fault.

Despite everyone's assumptions, Rosalie had been trying to help. She heard Alice scream when the vision hit her, watched the trauma ripple through her gathered family, and knew she would have to tell Edward because no one else would do it.

No one else could do it.

No one else did do it.

And as she hugged the dead tree in empathy, Rosalie now wished she could undo it.


	11. Prompt 13: Hunger

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns everything in the Twiverse. I'm just playing around :)**

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

**Prompt: #13, "Hunger"**

**Main Character: Rosalie Hale**

**Rating: T+**

**Word Count: 100**

* * *

Edward was about to scream.

He wanted to be respectful, to mind the manners Carlisle taught him.

But _she_ made that impossible.

His fingers twitched, his very skin crawling with feral lust.

He needed a thunderstorm, a tornado, the Second Coming.

_Anything_ to distract him.

Rosalie was new and volatile and couldn't help it.

But the more he tried to ignore her thoughts, the louder they roared.

_Hungry._

_Blood._

_Thirsty._

_Blood._

_Need._

_Blood._

_BloodBloodBloodBloodBloodBloodBlood._

"Enough!"

He blurred upstairs and into her room, shocking her mind into silence.

"Edward, what are you…"

"We must hunt." His eyes blackened with need. "Now."


	12. Prompt 06: Crush

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns everything in the Twiverse. I'm just playing around :)**

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

**Prompt: #06, "Crush"**

**Main Character: Rosalie Hale**

**Rating: T**

**Word Count: 1,817**

* * *

"Truth or dare, Rosalie?" Alice asked.

The blithe blonde flipped the page in her magazine, ignoring her sister's intent gaze from the floor. "You've got to be kidding."

"Come on!" Alice bounced on her knees. "There's nothing else to do until Carlisle and Esme come back from parent-teacher night, and I'm bored."

"Don't you have clothes to fold or a brunette human to makeover?"

"My clothes are always folded, thank you, and Bella is home studying for a math exam." She stared off into space. "On which she will earn a respectable B-minus."

"What does any of that…" She turned another page. "Have to do with me?"

Alice swiped the magazine, tossing it to the other side of the room. "I warned you about the very inappropriate gift Emmett was considering for your anniversary. You owe me."

Rosalie stared down her infuriating sister. Alice was at her worse when she wanted something, and with Jasper and the boys off on an evening hunt, she would be terrible until he returned. Rosalie rolled her eyes and reclined against the back of the couch. "Truth."

"How did you feel about Edward when you first met him?"

Rosalie groaned. "Roll the barrel."

"Nope." Alice folded her arms. "I don't play by those rules."

"Then we're not playing at all."

"Rosie!"

"One, don't call me that. Two, if you want me to play, respect my rules."

Alice pouted, her eyes glazing over. "Fine. Different question."

"Thank you."

"Why do you hate Bella so much?"

Rosalie cursed under her breath. "Why do you care?"

"Because I think she's the missing piece to our family, and your opposition doesn't make any sense."

"Doesn't it?" Rosalie got up and walked to the window. "She's human. We're vampires. Do I really need to diagram how this ends?"

"I know how it ends," Alice said softly. "And if you don't cease in your mistreatment of Bella, you may ruin everything."

Rosalie didn't respond as she watched the storm come in. The dark clouds were magnificent in their fury, and she almost smiled at the thought of the damage they might cause. Perhaps that stupid AP Biology trip might get cancelled.

"I liked him," she heard herself say.

"What?"

Rosalie turned toward Alice. "When I first met Edward, I liked him."

"You liked him?"

"Did I stutter?"

Her voice rose to a squeaky pitch. "You liked him?"

"And isn't it my turn to ask a question now?"

"You can't drop something like that on me and expect me to leave it alone."

"You are so annoying." Rosalie inspected her nails. "Yes, I liked him. Okay?"

Alice caught her tone, and her eyes widened. "You mean, you _liked him_ liked him?"

Rosalie didn't reply, and Alice's high-pitched squeal cracked the glass vase on the mantle.

"Esme's going to make you pay for that."

"Oh my god!" Alice blurred to Rosalie's side with dancing eyes. "I can't believe you had a crush on Edward!"

"I never said _crush_." Rosalie's glare put the kibosh on Alice's glee. "And if you ever use that word in that context again, you will rue the day you were born."

"I don't even remember the day I was born." Rosalie moved to slap Alice, but she danced out of the way. "Oh, this is so fun! Tell me more about your cru—ahem, how you liked Edward."

Rosalie crossed the room and flopped on the couch. "I think I've said more than enough."

"You haven't said a thing, and it's about time you did." Alice joined Rosalie on the sofa, tucking her feet beneath her. "From the time I met you, I never understood your issues with Edward. I mean, yes, he's infuriating and stubborn and dramatic…"

"And moody and prissy and reckless…"

"…and I would expect those traits to aggravate everyone. But you?" Alice shook her head. "Your reactions were visceral, like he offended you on a molecular level. And when I asked Jas about it…"

"You did what?" Rosalie didn't realize she'd grabbed Alice by the throat. "When? What did he say?"

"Could you let me go?" Alice rasped. "I can't choke to death, but this is uncomfortable."

"Sorry." Rosalie released her with a grimace. "But when did you ask him that?"

"After our first week with the family." Alice rubbed her throat, checking for bruises. "Though I lacked Jasper's talent, I sensed how strange your dynamic with Edward was. So I asked Jasper what he felt."

Rosalie lowered her gaze and voice. "And?"

"He said it was complicated. There was understandable annoyance and frustration with a side order of confusion. But underneath them all were things that made less sense."

"Such as?"

Alice scooted to the far end of the couch.

"What are you doing?" Rosalie barked.

"Trying not to get choked again."

"For goodness' sake." Rosalie made a show of sitting on her hands. "Are you satisfied now?"

"Yes, thank you."

"So will you answer me?"

Alice studied her sister, weighing the future. "I can't tell how you'll respond. No matter what I say, I'm pretty sure you'll be pissed."

"Then you might as well tell the whole truth."

A moment passed during which Rosalie feared Alice might not answer. Then she heard a slow intake of breath. "Jasper felt sadness, betrayal, and deep pain."

Rosalie picked invisible lint from her tights. "I see."

"He was uncomfortable telling me that, knowing how you valued your privacy, so he didn't elaborate. But I always wondered what was behind it."

Rosalie snorted. "And you picked tonight to ask me?"

"Things between Edward and Bella are about to escalate," she said quietly. "And I would like to keep in-house tensions at a minimum if possible."

Rosalie kept her face downcast. Alice decided to stay out of the future and remain in this moment in real-time. Call it sisterly intuition or a good guess, but the raven-haired seer believed it was what Rosalie needed.

"Edward was no stranger, you know," Rosalie said after a while. "We weren't personally acquainted, but we traveled in the same circles in Rochester, attended the same parties and such. He always seemed aloof and bored, and I had no use for him." She smoothed back her hair. "No man should ever outshine his lady."

It was the first time Rose had acknowledged Edward's aesthetic appeal, but Alice wisely kept the observation to herself.

"When I discovered he was a member of Carlisle's 'family,' a secret part of me looked forward to getting to know him. He was…" Rosalie's face changed, and she looked almost youthful. "A scant but happy remnant of my human past, perhaps the only one I would get. When I remembered seeing him at the Smithfield luncheon or the Walters holiday soiree, I could also see my parents and friends. Being around him could allow me to hold on to my memories a little longer. And though I was loath to admit it, he was strangely fascinating, a mystery worth solving. And I guess I thought if I could come to understand him, maybe eternity in this body wouldn't suck and I might find some sort of fairy tale ending after all."

Alice didn't breathe or blink. This was Rosalie unplugged and uncensored. If anything interrupted them now, her mercurial sister might not merely clam up again; she might forever resent Alice for seeing behind her carefully constructed veil. And Alice would sooner drape herself in an off-the-rank tartan muumuu than let that happen.

"One day I was shopping in town with Esme, and she ran into a female acquaintance. I'd had enough humanity for the afternoon and made my way toward the house. While still at some distance, I overheard Carlisle and Edward talking, well, Carlisle mostly. They didn't know I was there as I was supposed to be with Esme, and to my utter surprise, he was confessing how he changed me to become Edward's mate."

She paused, huffing to herself. "Esme had hinted at romantic possibilities with Edward before, but hearing him say it aloud was…strange, you know?" Alice nodded, but Rosalie didn't notice. "As Edward never seemed the sentimental type, I figured he would be embarrassed by the idea, perhaps taken aback by Carlisle's interference in such a private matter. But I…I never expected the rest."

Rosalie expelled a long, harsh breath, and Alice smelled salt in the air. "Edward said he would sooner toss himself into the fiery depths of hell than ever consider me anything more than a perpetual nuisance. Called me vain, entitled, empty-headed, and common." She swallowed past the rising emotions in her throat. "'She is a waste,' he said in summary. 'You should have let her die.'"

Alice's eyes were stinging with unsheddable tears, but she held her tongue.

"I had been attacked and left for dead by my fiancé and his band of brothers. I'd lost my family, my friends, and any hope for the happy, maternal future I'd planned. But hearing Edward say those things…" She bit her quivering bottom lip, clenching her fists. "It crushed me."

"I can only imagine." Alice paused, measuring her words. "If it helps, Edward was in a bad place back then. He'd just come back from his rebellion and was still…"

"We were all in a bad place," Rosalie said without emotion. "And no, it doesn't."

The distant sound of an approach car drew their attention to the window, and Alice looked at Rosalie with soft eyes.

"No one knows about this," Rosalie said hurriedly. "Not Esme, not Emmett, no one. I kept walking home and entered the house as if I hadn't heard a thing. I went on openly despising Edward and felt justified in doing so. I still do." She came to her feet, her mask back in place. "So you'll forgive me if I lack the wherewithal to care how my attitude affects him and his human pet."

Alice's mind raced, and she said the only thing she could think of. "I'm sorry."

"Did your gift tell you I needed to hear that?" Rosalie tossed her hair over her shoulder. "You must be losing your touch." She turned toward the stairs, laying a hand on the railing. "You should know I'm never playing this game again. And as far as I'm concerned, we didn't play tonight."

"Understood."

"Good." And Rosalie carried herself upstairs without another word, slamming her bedroom door behind her as a roll of thunder rumbled outside.

Carlisle and Esme entered the house ten minutes later and found Alice alone on the couch.

"Alice?" Carlisle asked as he helped Esme out of her coat. "Is everything all right?"

"Yes." Alice forced a smile. "I was just enjoying the calm before the storm."

"Oh, don't worry about that." Esme came to kiss her cheek. "We're all safe and sound in here."

Alice watched her walk toward the kitchen, her soul adrift. _"That's what you think."_


	13. Prompt 19: Pristine

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns everything in the Twiverse. I'm just playing around :)**

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

**Prompt: #19, "Pristine"**

**Main Character: Rosalie Hale**

**Rating: T+**

**Word Count: 100**

* * *

Beyond lovely

Angelic

For only celestial beauty could defy this bloody, broken backdrop

I should act, whisk him away to Dr. Cullen for safe keeping

Selfish saving?

But I cannot bring myself to touch him

Despite his exposed entrails, he is wholly divine

Smooth skin

Cherubic cheeks

An unmarred soul deserving more than an unholy afterlife

To sully him with my filthy hands would be a sacrilege

Yet

Was not another Lamb once similarly slain?

Spill his precious blood to redeem a world unworthy?

I wonder

If it happened once

Could it happen again?

Could he

Maybe

Be my encore?


	14. Prompt 07: Desecrate

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns everything in the Twiverse. I'm just playing around :)**

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

**Prompt: #07, "Desecrate"**

**Main Character: Rosalie Hale**

**Rating: T**

**Word Count: 100**

* * *

I wondered would it look different

If seeing the devil's face would deface my bridal lace

(much like he violated my virginal veil)

Frosty fingers fondle the fabric

Feeling flaws I didn't notice before

An ironic rub

Edward warned that seeing my gown would only cause pain

Remind me of the life I would never have

All the joys I would never know

The monster I thought I knew

And he was right

I see everything I have lost

But I shall balance the scales

"Till death do us part" we planned to say

So

One down

Him to go


	15. Prompt 02: Animalistic

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns everything in the Twiverse. I'm just playing around :)**

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

**Prompt: #02, "Animalistic"**

**Main Character: Rosalie Hale**

**Rating: T**

**Word Count: 100**

* * *

Her hackles rose when she entered the room

Everyone stared, but she cared not a whit

Her veins hissed with rage, its fiery fury belying her arctic fingers

By nature—or whatever one called it—she was a predator

A venomous beast that drained the life from others to sustain her own

She cloaked her viciousness in a haughty veneer

Feigning indifference to hide her insatiability

But when Rosalie spotted the glaring atrocity, the monster within roared to life, igniting her basest instincts

Destroy.

Dismember.

Decimate.

"I'll ask only once." Her ire sliced the heavy silence. "Who. Scratched. My. Car?"


	16. Prompt 12: Forgotten (I'm Back!)

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns everything in the Twiverse. I'm just playing around :)**

* * *

**I'M BAAAACK! **

**Good news: The remaining prompts are complete! The Twilight25 contest deadline has long since passed, but so many of you enjoyed these as much as I did, so I'm stoked to present these to you anyway!**

**Better news: I'll be posting twice a week (Monday and Thursday)**

**Best news: I'm writing again :)**

**If you're still out there, thank you for sticking with me! From now on, anytime I update/load a chapter, the story is complete. No promises on what's next, but I'm hard at work. So keep me on alert, would ya? **

**And because you've been so patient, I'm starting with the longest one-shot of the Rosalie series.**

**It's good to be back! :)**

* * *

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

**Prompt: #12, "Forgotten"**

**Main Character: Rosalie Hale**

**Rating: K**

**Word Count: 2,651**

Alice peeks at her brooding brother as he picks at the piano. "Where is she?"

He changes keys but does not look up. "I do not know who you mean."

"Mmm-hmmm." She bumps him hard enough to send him to the floor, taking up the melody. "Where is the lovely Ms. Swan this afternoon?"

Edward is hard-pressed not to smile, but he manages as he resumes his seat. "She is on the reservation with Chief Swan and will return this evening."

"And then?"

"And then." Edward increases his pace. "Is none of your business."

"You know I could Look."

"And I could vacillate for the rest of the night." Edward glances her way. "Playing this game with me is useless."

She claps her hands, startling him. "Oh, I don't care. I'm over the moon for you! After all these years alone, it is so good to see you with someone."

He doesn't reply, but his eyes are brightened by agreement.

"Tell me true: have you ever been this happy?"

Again he is silent, but she is undeterred.

"Of course you haven't! I have it on good authority that you never smiled before Bella Swan tripped into your life. Not once."

He finishes his song with a flourish. "Well, if your authority is good…"

"The best." She taps his nose with a finger. "Carlisle is never wrong."

"Then you need no confirmation from me."

"Would it kill you to admit I'm right?"

"Yes, it would. So you will have to enjoy your triumph without my help." Edward dodges her attempt to swat his shoulder. "I need to hunt before tonight. If you promise not to badger me about Bella, then you can come."

"I promise no such thing." She springs to her feet. "But you've decided to let me come anyway, so quit stalling."

Edward rolls his eyes. "Why do I bother?"

They speed out of the room together, and as the door slams behind them, Rosalie emerges from the garage. Her lovely façade is the envy of most women she knows, but there is pain behind the mask.

And in this moment, she aches.

Walking to the piano, she takes the bench with a heavy sigh. It has been ages since she played, decades since she wanted to, and after the conversation she just overheard, it will be a dry, sunny day in Forks before she does again.

It will be his luck if she does not turn his precious instrument into kindling.

_How could he forget?_

** R ** R **

It was her second year of immortality, and Rosalie was miserable. Beyond the loss of her family, she continued to mourn the death of possibility. What could she hope to achieve in a frozen body that would never change?

She had never given much thought to how she would age, but being eternally denied the chance and stuck in a useless eighteen-year-old body forever with nothing of consequence on the horizon?

It was a fate worse than death.

Not that she blamed her…adoptive parents, for lack of a better term.

Dr. Carlisle Cullen was as kind as he was handsome, a combination Rosalie was loath to trust at first. But his gentleness and patience won her over, and she could tolerate him in small increments when necessary. He believed her misery was his fault, and though Rosalie would never use his guilt to her advantage, it was nice to see it all the same.

His wife was maternity incarnate, and Rosalie wondered how Esme could be so content knowing her body would never again bear children. Rosalie would have resented Esme for having once enjoyed the maternal privilege if not for the heartbreaking story of the boy's death and Esme's tragic reaction. Such an entrance to this life bound the two women somewhat, and their connection would have been solidified had Rosalie chosen to confide in the benevolent brunette about her own death. But Rosalie buried that story with the cruel men who wrote it and had no intention of ever revisiting it again.

Though for the other one among them, her confession would have been superfluous.

Rosalie had every reason to despise Edward Masen, as he was then called. For one thing, he was unspeakably beautiful, which vexed her greatly. Rosalie's vanity was undoubtedly exaggerated, but she detested any man too lovely for his own good. Dr. Cullen was properly handsome in the way that made women feel safe and was wholesome to boot, giving his aesthetics additional appeal.

Not so for his bronze-haired counterpart.

Edward's attractiveness was rivaled only by his apathy which made for an unholy combination. A man of his physicality owed it to the world to be civil, and Rosalie hated him for wasting his aesthetic gift. Edward seemed disgusted by the world and all it contained, and for all that, he and Rosalie might have become friends.

His initial slight upon their meeting notwithstanding.

But his telepathy was a surprising, unbearable thorn in her side, and she thus abhorred spending more than a cursory minute in his presence. Dr. and Mrs. Cullen assured Rosalie that Edward could control his gift and was discreet enough to stay out of her head, but Rosalie could not take the chance. He might break his word just as his name crossed her mind, and she would die of embarrassment if that ever happened.

So she avoided him at all costs, a feat simplified by the size of their mansion on the outskirts of Gaitlinburg. She could pass entire weeks and only see him a handful of times, and that suited her just fine.

If not for the one thing they seemed to have in common.

For everything she hated about her immortal life, Rosalie relished the prospect of learning to play piano well. Her mother had insisted on lessons in her youth, but Mrs. Hale could siphon the sheen from sunshine. Rosalie's instructor was old and mirthless, and Rosalie did only what was required to avoid being scolded. But with Ever After at her disposal, Rosalie reasoned she could properly learn piano at her pace.

If the infernal instrument did not belong to _him._

Carlisle and Esme insisted she could play whenever she wanted, but she had never seen them enjoy the privilege. She could not touch Edward's things without permission, and she would not condescend to ask his permission.

But it happened one day that he was on an extended hunt with Carlisle, and Esme was in town running errands. Rosalie needed a distraction and had exhausted every book and diversion in the house. Resolved, she entered the room where the magnificent parlor grand resided.

She inched toward the piano and circled it several times without touching it. Each time she drew closer, the telltale tingle igniting her fingertips. She ran a nervous hand around its smooth outer curves, feeling relaxed for the first time in months. She took a seat on the bench and slowly raised the fallboard.

The perfect keys lay before her, begging to be stroked. With a quick glance left and right, Rosalie played her first chord. A tangible hum of happiness resonated in her soul, and she closed her eyes to savor it. So long had she gone without the simplest of pleasures, she thought she might combust from joy.

She started with the scales and moved on to simple childhood songs. She could see her former instructor's scowl, her mother's cosigning disappointment, and she deliberately butchered the notes, laughing aloud as the obnoxious tones echoed through the empty house. Louder and louder she played, drunk on dissonance, and she paused, wondering if she should add her voice to the chaos.

"Perhaps you are better suited to the triangle," came the voice from behind.

Rosalie leapt from the bench in fright, dropping into a defensive crouch. Raising her gaze to his face, she was stunned to find it reasonably affable.

"You are not supposed to be here." She came to her feet, sweeping invisible dust from her dress. "I was told you were…"

"Hunting with Carlisle." Edward sighed heavily. "I was, but now I am not."

His terse reply piqued her curiosity, but she would not ask for details. "Please pardon me."

"No. I mean…" He gestured toward the instrument. "Do not let me interrupt."

"You mock me," she said, wounded by the notion.

"On the contrary." Edward entered the room. "I find your rendition of 'Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star' inspired."

She folded her arms. "For your information, I was playing 'The Alphabet Song.'"

"My mistake."

He seemed of the mind to stay, making her ill at ease. "I did not expect you here," she reiterated. "Otherwise I never would have…"

"The piano belongs to the house and all its occupants." He moved toward it with an elegance she resented. "Naturally this includes you."

"You play with such possessiveness." She scolded herself for voicing the thought. "I did not dare intrude."

"But you have." He sat on the bench. "So now we must play together."

She narrowed her eyes. "I cannot tell if you are serious."

"I am always serious. But in this moment, my seriousness has a pointedly polite aim."

"Have you read my thoughts since entering this room?"

"I have not." He glanced her way. "Though your posture reveals as much as your thoughts ever could. You may want to unfold your arms."

He began playing a complicated version of 'The Alphabet Song.'

She uncrossed her arms and recrossed them with a huff. "What are you doing?"

"_I_ am playing the piano." He lingered in the higher keys, tickling her ears. "What are you doing?"

"I _was _ playing the piano before being so rudely interrupted." She half-stormed, half-sauntered back to the bench, taking a reluctant seat beside him. "You must wait your turn."

He made a show of lifting his hands from the keys. "Ladies first."

She shot him an icy glare that melted a bit when she noticed his amusement. With a thorough roll of the eyes, she began playing 'Row, Row, Row Your Boat.'

Edward nodded along, though she tried not to notice, then he did the unthinkable.

He began to play with her.

She stopped mid-verse. "What are you doing?"

"Did we not have this conversation once?"

"I am serious," she said, though her voice suggested otherwise. "It is my turn, and I do not need your interference."

"My apologies." He sat on his hands. "Please proceed."

She tossed back her hair, keeping an eye on him, and continued her rendition of the childhood favorite. Edward did his best to abstain, but her irritation was too glorious not to court.

So he joined her again, this time two measures behind.

She growled but did not stop playing. "I thought I told you to stop."

"Have you ever played in a round?"

"What?"

"A round, Miss Hale." He stopped playing and faced her. "Have you ever played the song in a round?"

"Do not talk to me of rounds, Edward. If you must speak, let it be in explanation of your sudden desire to interact with me at all."

"Why should that surprise you?"

She banged the keys, glaring at him. "Because you treat me like a pebble wedged in the corner of your shoe. From the moment I stepped foot in this house two years ago, you made perfectly clear your wish that Carlisle had let me die in the street or at the very least lodged me somewhere far from you and your delicately balanced life. Why should I believe civility is no longer beneath you?"

Her fury blew all over him with every exhale, but neither of them blinked. Their nonexistent relationship had inched toward this precipice since the beginning, and now they would either pull each other toward friendliness or fall into the abyss of indifference.

His reply would decide, and she would wait for it if the suspense killed her.

"You have every right to think ill of me," he said softly. "And I offer no viable excuses for my previous behavior. I…I am unaccustomed to the company of anyone save Carlisle and Esme and found adjusting to you difficult."

"Why?" Her heart was in the question. "Why am I so difficult?"

"You have an indelible effect on everyone around you." It was then he looked away. "You are impossible to ignore or forget, forcing one to answer the question your very existence presents. And I…I do not perform very well under pressure."

His confession shocked her into silence, and she swallowed hard.

"Realizing your abhorrence of my mental gift," he continued. "I felt it best to keep my distance."

"But…" She could not believe it. "It was never my intention to…"

"It was nothing you have done," he said kindly. "Nothing you could change if you wanted to. You are the rare sort of creature God designs for the sole purpose of showing off. We could no sooner blame the peacock for its features."

"It is the male who preens," she said after a moment. "Not the female."

"Are we still speaking of feathered fowl?"

There was a lilt in her voice. "That is not for me to say."

Breaking with all her good sense, she met his gaze. And as they stared at one another, a slow smile spread across his face, giving it an appearance of such cheer and youthfulness that it stole her breath. Rosalie had never seen anything so lovely in all her days, and she was helpless to do anything but return the gesture.

Their mutual smiles were a hard-earned baby step toward camaraderie, and they savored the moment before turning back to the ivories.

"So," Rosalie said. "Tell me about this round of which you speak."

Edward explained the nature of the round, and Rosalie listened with rapt attention. She thought the concept silly and unexpected, which suited their present mood perfectly. He let her begin "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" and waited his turn. When he jumped in at the proper interval, a blinding smile split her face, causing him to laugh aloud. Rosalie never imagined he could be so altered, and she nearly hit a false note in her incredulity.

So passed the remaining hours of the afternoon. They played everything from "Mary Had a Little Lamb" and "Good King Wenceslas" to Mozart and Debussy. Sometimes one of them abruptly changed tempo or chords hoping the other would falter, both amused by their childish attempts at sabotage. Other times they played in amiable silence, the music conveying what words could not. Rosalie had never so enjoyed another's company, and if Edward's crooked smiles were any indication, he too felt the rarity.

When at last Esme's thoughts reached Edward's mind, he alerted Rosalie to their mistress's nearness. Rosalie sighed, not wanting the day to end, and Edward turned to her.

"Might we…" He cleared his throat. "That is, if you wouldn't mind, might we play again tomorrow?"

Rosalie beamed, nodding with alacrity. "I would like that very much."

He bowed, rising from the piano. "Until then."

And with another smile, Edward quit the room, leaving Rosalie fluttering in his wake, waiting for tomorrow.

But when tomorrow came, Rosalie and Edward did not get the chance to play. Carlisle returned from his hunt, he and Edward had terse words in the woods, and Edward reverted to his broody ways, ignoring Rosalie as if their sonata-filled siesta never happened. She knew his quarrel was not with her but could not forgive him for making her an accidental casualty of his perpetual war of wills with Carlisle.

And she holds the grudge to this day.

Snapping out of her memories, Rosalie resists the urge to damage the flawless instrument. But as she heads upstairs humming "Row, Row, Row Your Boat," she cannot stop a brief smile from touching her lips.

* * *

**Glad to be back, y'all. See you Thursday! :)**


	17. Prompt 08: Disheveled

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns everything in the Twiverse. I'm just playing around :)**

* * *

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

**Prompt: #08, "Disheveled"**

**Main Character: Rosalie Hale**

**Rating: T**

**Word Count: 100**

Rosalie and Leah flew out of the house and toward her car.

"Wait!" Esme yelled behind them. "I need to talk to you!"

"Rosie." Leah ran to the passenger side. "Get us out of here."

"I'm trying!" Rosalie fumbled with the keys. "I can't stop shaking."

"Girls, listen." Esme reached the driveway. "We thought you had school."

"Half day, Mom," Leah cried. "It's on the calendar!"

"I'm sorry. Your father and I were just…"

"Mom!" They screamed.

Rosalie yanked open the car door. "Do us a favor."

"Anything," Esme said, wringing her hands.

"Throw away the couch," Rosalie said. "Please!"

* * *

**Have a wonderful weekend! See ya Monday :)**


	18. Prompt 01: Ancient

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns everything in the Twiverse. I'm just playing around :)**

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

**Prompt: #01, "Ancient"**

**Main Character: Rosalie Hale**

**Rating: K**

**Word Count: 100**

* * *

Renesmee runs into my room, sobbing. "Rosie!"

"What's wrong?"

"Jakey said you used to hate him, Mommy, and Daddy!"

_Oh crap. _

"Is it true?"

I grimace. "Well…"

"Is it?"

"Come here, honey." I cradle her in my lap. "Here's the truth: I envied Mommy because she was human. I resented Daddy because he hurt my feelings. And I disliked Jakey because he was super annoying. But we're a family now, and all that yucky stuff is in the past."

She sniffles. "Really?"

"It's ancient history." I kiss the tip of her nose. "Except the part about Jakey being super annoying."

* * *

**Some things never change, LOL. **

**So excited to hear from so many of you again. I missed you during my hiatus! See you Thursday :) :)**


	19. Prompt 25: Worthless

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns everything in the Twiverse. I'm just playing around :)**

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

**Prompt: #25, "Worthless"**

**Main Character: Rosalie Hale**

**Rating: K**

**Word Count: 100**

* * *

"Put it on!" Alice shakes the festive hat in Rosalie's face. "You know you want to."

"And if you believe that." Rosalie turns up her nose. "Your so-called powers are laughably defective."

"Please, Rose?" She bats her ridiculously long lashes. "It only comes once a year."

"Yes. And there are ten thousand years ahead of us…and ten thousand after that, and ten thousand after that, and ten thousand after…"

"Fine." Alice drops the hat and the matter. "You made your point."

"Lovely." Rosalie heads toward the back door. "Oh, and Alice?"

"Yeah?"

She flashes a fake grin. "Happy New Year."


	20. Prompt 22: Treasure

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns everything in the Twiverse. I'm just playing around :)**

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

**Prompt: #22, "Treasure"**

**Main Character: Rosalie Hale**

**Rating: T**

**Word Count: 100**

* * *

He has done nothing to ease her suffering

Barely glanced her way

His telepathy notwithstanding, he cannot escape her pain

Her family lives, and she is haunted by what is

This, he can fix

...

He slips past her sleeping parents into her former bedroom

Ignoring the guilt gentility recommends

He knows not what he seeks

But it must soothe her sadness

Ease her transition from this charmed life into earthly eternity

...

There

Upon the desk

An item catches his eye

Prominent placement proclaiming its worth

Envisioning her smile, he tucks the precious token away

And flies away home

A savior

* * *

**I hope you guys are enjoying these. I'm having a ball with my precious Rose :)**

**See you Thursday!**


	21. Prompt 05: Covert

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns everything in the Twiverse. I'm just playing around :)**

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

**Prompt: #05, "Covert"**

**Main Character: Rosalie Hale**

**Rating: T**

**Word Count: 100**

* * *

This is beneath me.

An utter waste of time.

But our family steeps in suffocating grief

And I cannot breathe

Thus I sit alone in a tall Forks pine

Waiting for proof of life.

...

The human is fine

She _has to be._

Our family would implode

And Edward...

Words do not exist.

(neither would he)

...

The rust-bucket arrives.

The door opens.

And as expected, she's…

Wait.

That's not her.

That cannot be her.

That's barely anyone.

...

She's _wrecked._

A girl left for dead

Sacrificed on an altar of her beloved's choosing

Oh, God

Oh, my _God._

What have we done?

* * *

**May the power of His resurrection strengthen and give you peace this Sunday.**

**See you Monday :)**


	22. Prompt 10: Fabricate

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns everything in the Twiverse. I'm just playing around :)**

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

**Prompt: #10, "Fabricate"**

**Main Character: Rosalie Hale**

**Rating: T**

**Word Count: 100**

* * *

Rosalie grabs Alice's wrist. "Don't tell him!"

"Rose, he's going to…"

"Promise me!" Rosalie's violet eyes are wild. "If he finds out, I will die of embarrassment."

"But Rose…"

"Promise me!"

Alice sighs. "Fine. But he won't buy it."

"He's coming." Rosalie pastes a smile on her face. "Act natural."

Alice sits upright as Dr. Cullen enters. "Afternoon, ladies. How can I help you?"

"Rosalie has crabs!"

Rosalie reddens. "Alice!"

"What? Isn't that better than saying you have a crush on him?"

Rosalie groans into her hands. "No, it isn't."

Alice shrugs. "Sorry."

Emmett blushes, looking at Rosalie. "Don't be."

* * *

**A blushing Emmett... Happy Monday, all! :)**


	23. Prompt 03: Banned

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns everything in the Twiverse. I'm just playing around :)**

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

**Prompt: #03, "Banned"**

**Main Character: Rosalie Hale**

**Rating: T**

**Word Count: 100**

* * *

"I am so disappointed."

Esme tsked, supporting her husband's edict.

"Disappointed, outraged, and…"

"Undone," Esme finished. "We are undone!"

"The Denali clan was a second family to us." Carlisle paced before them. "Now you have somehow dismantled decades of camaraderie in one weekend!"

His brawny son kept his head down, but Carlisle noted his amusement. "Is this funny to you?"

"No." The blonde girl raised contrite eyes. "It is in no way funny, and we are very sorry."

"I just have one question." Esme folded her arms and glared. "What on earth did you do to get banned from Alaska?"

* * *

**One can only imagine...**

**Have a good weekend, all! The last two prompts will be shared next week :)**


	24. Prompt 20: Serendipity

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns everything in the Twiverse. I'm just playing around :)**

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

**Prompt: #20, "Serendipity"**

**Main Character: Rosalie Hale**

**Rating: K+**

**Word Count: 100**

* * *

Rosalie smoothed her silk designer gown, marveling at how she got here:

Losing her post-undergrad job

Moving to Chicago to sleep on her best friend Jasper's futon

Driving Jasper to the hospital when Crazy Maria broke his hand

Seeing a sad woman waiting alone

Taking her hand to pray for her fire-fighting brother

Drying the woman's happy tears when his doctor emerged smiling

Bringing her brother balloons the next day because Rosalie promised she would

Carrying lilies and roses today because she wants to promise him forever

"Mrs. Edward Anthony Masen." Rosalie smiled. "How I love the sound of that."

* * *

**Y'all know how I adore Roseward in any form. **

**Final prompt on Thursday. See you then! :)**


	25. Prompt 11: Forbidden

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns everything in the Twiverse. I'm just playing around :)**

**Last one, y'all. *sniffles* Guess I waited till the end of the day because I didn't want to say goodbye to my Rosie. Anyway, THANK YOU for taking this journey with me. It means everything :)**

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

**Prompt: #11, "Forbidden"**

**Main Character: Rosalie Hale**

**Rating: T**

**Word Count: 1,301**

* * *

"I can't wait for you to meet everyone!" Emmett drags her toward the front door, enthusiasm obscuring his concern for her sky-high heels. "It's been so hard keeping Mom from storming campus to find you."

She laughs, well-acquainted with tales of Mrs. McCarty's nosey nature. "I would have liked to see that!"

"From what Jasper said, you wouldn't." He shakes his head. "Poor Alice still trembles at the sight of crinkle-cut fries."

Emmett gives a cursory knock to the front door then pushes it open. "Hello?" His booming voice echoes through the elegant front hall. "We're here!"

"They're here!" comes a shriek from the back of the house. "Carlisle, come!"

In a flurry of flour and femininity, Esme McCarty wipes her white-dusted hands on an otherwise pristine apron and bear-hugs her son. Though comparatively slim, she nonetheless manages to make him wince as she squeezes. "My brawny baby! I've missed you so much." She peeks over his shoulder at the gorgeous blonde smiling behind him. "And is this..."

"My one and only." Emmett releases his mother and slips his arm around his lady. "Mother, this is Rose Hale."

"And a Rose by any other name..." Esme trails off and takes her hands. "It is a pleasure to meet you, my dear. May I give you a hug?"

It is too late to reply. "Of course, Mrs. McCarty. I would..."

"Oh no." Esme backs away, swatting the girl's hand with a dish towel. "No, no, no! None of that Mrs. McCarty stuff. Do I look like the sort to eat candy out of the cushions and tell bawdy stories during a baptism?"

Rose blinks. "Um, no."

"That's right."

She turns to bellow to Carlisle once more, and Emmett leans in to Rose. "My dad's crazy aunt. Long story."

"Darling?" Esme calls out. "Are you indisposed?"

"No." He emerges from the other room. "But I might be a trifle deaf now."

She receives his cheek kiss with a playful scowl. "Emmett's here!"

"So I've heard." He shakes his son's hand then pulls him into an affectionate man hug. "Hello, son."

"Dad." Emmett's smile is a mile wide. "I'd like you to meet my Rosie."

She blushes at Carlisle's arched brow. "Just Rose," she says. "Emmie is the only one..." Her cheeks are red now, and she looks away.

Carlisle lays a paternal hand on her shoulder. "Don't be embarrassed. At least your pet names are fit for public consumption." He heads toward the kitchen, swatting his wife on the rear as he passes. "Some of us cannot say the same."

Esme squeaks with delight, composing herself as she looks toward the couple. "Well, now. I need to finish dinner. Why don't you head upstairs and get settled? Emmett, show Rose the guest room and don't forget we have cameras."

"Mom!" Rose blushes to her roots, and Emmett leads her upstairs. "She's kidding, I think."

"I'm beginning to thank God she never showed up on campus," she says.

They pass his bedroom, and she pokes her head in. "Uma Thurman, Kate Hudson, and Charlize Theron."

He grins. "I have a type. Shoot me."

"Janet Jackson?"

He whistles low. "That's Miss Jackson if you're nasty."

They walk hand-in-hand down the hall, noting the distance between his room and hers. "Mom may be crazy, but she's not subtle," he says. "But it's comfortable and has a private bathroom, so that should make up for it."

"It's perfect." She stands on tiptoe to kiss him, choosing his nose. "The cameras, remember?"

He wraps his arms around her. "I wouldn't care if they put us on the evening news. I'm in love with you and don't care who knows it."

She kisses him, on the mouth this time, pulling away before things get too heated. "Shall I go help Esme?"

"Don't even think about it. Everyone is banned from the kitchen until sometime during tomorrow's parade." The doorbell chimes, and Emmett claps his hands. "Ha! Jazz is here, and he's going to need help with Alice's many bags. I'll be back with ours in a minute."

"Take your time." She glances around the room. "I'm perfectly content here."

Emmett kisses her quickly then runs down the hall, leaving Rosalie alone. She surveys the guest room, its gender-neutral color palette and magazine-ready décor, and figures it's as nice a place as any to spend Thanksgiving break. The dorms were too depressing, and as Lillian Hale made it quite clear that she'd be too busy with her man-of-the-moment to entertain her daughter, coming home with Emmett just made sense.

Rose walks to the window and peers out. The modest grounds behind the McCarty are as perfect as what lies within it, and Rose could see herself being a part of this family. Emmett is everything girls dream of, and everyone says they make the perfect couple.

And everyone can't be wrong, right?

It's not as if she doesn't care for him. How could anyone not care for someone as selfless, handsome, and affable as Emmett McCarty? His smile could melt the hardest of hearts, and she fancies herself lucky that he fancies himself in love with her.

But in her heart of hearts, Rose fears there's something missing, a level of commitment and confidence she just doesn't feel. And the knowledge makes her sad. She would rather choke on her doubts than hurt Emmett, and unless she finds a definite source for her apprehension, those questions will die in her heart unanswered.

"Rose?" Emmett calls. "Come here!"

Pasting a smile on her face, Rose heads downstairs, expecting to see the handsome couple from the photos on Emmett's desk. But when she reaches the top of the stairs, her mind goes blank as she takes in the sight before her.

Standing beside Emmett is someone Rose doesn't recognize. Long and lean with a shock of wildly colored hair, he is the most beautiful man Rose has ever seen.

And his green eyes are fixed on Rose as a compass fixes on true north.

She descends the stairs, trying to look away, but can't. Beyond his sexy exterior, something in his soul cries out to her, something decadent and deep, beckoning her forward.

And Rose is helpless to deny the call.

"Rose?" Emmett beams as she reaches the bottom of the stairs. "This is my neighbor and childhood best friend, Edward Cullen. We thought he'd be spending the holidays away, but that didn't work out. Lucky us, right?"

"Yes." Edward continues staring at Rose. "Lucky us."

"And this is my girlfriend, Rose Hale." Emmett winks at her, stealing her attention from Edward. "She goes to school with me."

"Are you on a football scholarship too?" Edward asks.

She laughs, hoping it disguises her nerves. "If only I hadn't torn my ACL in high school."

"Babe, don't joke about that." Emmett winces. "You're gonna give me nightmares."

"And you don't want that," Edward says. "He screams like a baby in his sleep."

"Does he?" Rose smiles. "Can't say I've had the privilege of hearing."

"Don't be giving away all my secrets, Cullen." Emmett elbows him in the ribs. "Or I'll drop a few dimes on you."

"I have nothing to hide." Edward's smile warms Rose to her core. "And I'm sure Miss Hale can handle whatever happens."

"She can handle you, that's for sure!" Emmett puts Edward in a headlock, dragging him upstairs. "Now who's gonna scream like a baby? Be back, Rosie!"

"Okay."

With no one else in the hall, Rose collapses on the bench and takes a deep breath, counting backwards from ten. But she could count backward from infinity, and the truth would remain: everything she knows about life and love is about to change, all at the hands of her boyfriend's best friend.

And as the seed of temptation takes root in her heart, Rose finally understands why Eve had to taste the fruit. She smiles as its sweet juices run down her chin, eager for the Fall.

* * *

**And of course we end with Roseward. Wouldn't have it any other way ;)**

**Thanks for the love and support! I'll see you soon with an update in another story. **

**Love and light to you all! XO**


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